Ms Naish said: “The wound to this poor animal’s leg was horrific. Its leg was snapped in half and completely mangled — it was clear the suffering was extreme.

“We don’t know how long he had been there. We cannot rule out that it might have been up to a week. He was in that awful state for too long.”

“Gin traps” were outlawed in the UK more than 60 years ago. They commonly have a pressure pad which when triggered snaps metal “teeth” shut. Traps bought legally but modified into a gin trap are also illegal.

Ms Naish added: “These traps are illegal for a reason — they are brutal and cause a lot of suffering. It is absolutely disgusting that this kind of trap is being used in this day and age.

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“They are not designed to kill, they are designed to trap and hold the animal until the person who set the trap comes to deal with the animal, but they do cause severe injuries and much suffering so their use has been banned since 1954.

“It is not just foxes which are at risk from injury, they could easily seriously harm a person or someone’s pet dog or cat as well as wildlife.”

The RSPCA is urging anyone with information about the incident with the fox to come forward through its confidential 0300 1238018 line.